Seeing the cold smile on Ye Fan's lips, Shen Bao felt a chill run down his spine.
From the moment he arrived in Taiping Town, Ye Fan had been investigating and subtly gathering information, eventually calculating his way to completely cripple the four major families of the Dark Alliance. Liu Yuan and the others had already become Ye Fan's defeated opponents.
Following that, his plan targeting Lin Yue had clearly succeeded by more than half.
Now, the Wang family would have absolutely no doubt about Lin Yue's kidnapping of Wang Sheng.
It had to be said that Ye Fan's mind was truly profound, calculating three steps ahead and leaving no room for error.
That evening, the Grand Elder specially hosted a banquet to thank Ye Fan.
Although they still hadn't found the second young master, Ye Fan had truly gone to great lengths for them this time.
Moreover, he had risked his life.
After all, Wu Liuding knew that Ye Fan had betrayed Lin Yue. It was only a matter of time before Lin Yue launched a desperate pursuit against Ye Fan.
Ye Fan smiled slightly at the Grand Elder's gratitude. "We are allies now, so I naturally won't stand idly by. However, the mission here was for that batch of items. I wonder if the Grand Elder can let me take that batch of goods?"
This was what Ye Fan valued most. He was now irreconcilably opposed to Lin Yue. Once the Wang family went to war with Lin Yue, this batch of goods would certainly no longer be given to Lin Yue, and then he could keep it for himself in private.
One must know that anything that could captivate Lin Yue could not be an ordinary item. Furthermore, Ye Fan had already briefly inspected a few of them, and they were all treasures.
If these items were placed in Bo Gu Zhai, they would undoubtedly bring great fame to Bo Gu Zhai.
Hearing Ye Fan's words, the Grand Elder frowned slightly.
That batch of goods was, after all, distributed to Lin Yue by the higher authorities. But now, they were at odds with Lin Yue. If they gave it to Lin Yue, he naturally wouldn't be willing, but if they gave it to Ye Fan...
"Brother Ye, what are your plans for Lin Yue?"
This was a probing question, testing Ye Fan's intentions.
If Ye Fan intended to cooperate with Lin Yue after returning, the Grand Elder would never hand over this batch of goods, even if he were beaten to death.
Ye Fan slowly raised his head, his gaze deep as he looked at the Grand Elder, letting out a cold laugh.
"If you don't cut the grass by the roots, it's better to pretend you know nothing. What does the Grand Elder think?"
Cut the grass by the roots?
The Grand Elder was momentarily stunned, and then a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Well said. One must cut the grass by the roots, and moreover, retaliate for even the slightest grievance. That is what a true man does."
The Grand Elder was very satisfied with Ye Fan's thoughts and then clapped his hands.
Soon, more than a dozen large crates were carried in.
The food on the table was cleared away, and the crates were placed on top.
"These were all distributed to Lin Yue by Jiangnan. Although Jiangcheng is a small city, its antique market is quite outstanding. Therefore, the higher authorities attach great importance to Jiangcheng's antique industry and specifically sent down these items. However, if this batch of goods were lost, Lin Yue would likely have to bear the consequences."
A sinister smile appeared on the Grand Elder's face.
He couldn't be blamed for this; the fault lay entirely with Lin Yue for being too ruthless.
They could have cooperated well, but he insisted on taking a path to ruin.
Hearing the Grand Elder's words, Ye Fan revealed a cunning smile.
"Come on, let's see these treasures. They are truly remarkable. If it weren't for my Wang family having a good relationship with the City Lord of Jiangnan, we might have been tempted by these goods ourselves."
As he spoke, he opened the first crate.
To receive such high praise from the Grand Elder showed that these items were indeed very good.
One must know that the Grand Elder held a distinguished position in the Wang family, far surpassing ordinary members. Therefore, he had seen countless good things.
Consequently, his standards were naturally very high, but he still praised this batch of goods so highly, which indicated the excellent quality of these items.
Ye Fan walked forward slowly, his gaze falling into the crate, where a porcelain vase was displayed.
"A blue and white porcelain vase from the Yongzheng period?"
Seeing the vase, Ye Fan was slightly stunned, and then a look of shock appeared on his face.
Although many blue and white porcelain pieces from the Qing Dynasty have been preserved, most of them are from the Qianlong period or later. Due to the decline of national strength, their quality was not very high.
Throughout the Qing Dynasty, the blue and white porcelain of the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong periods was of the highest quality.
However, they were rarely seen on the market. It was unexpected that among the items distributed to Jiangcheng this time, there would be a blue and white porcelain vase from the Yongzheng period, which truly surprised Ye Fan.
He gently took out the vase, placed it on the table, and examined it carefully.
It had an open mouth with flared rims, and the interior was primarily glazed with plain white, with occasional traces of raw clay, resembling faint white clouds in a clear blue sky.
"What a beautiful painting."
Ye Fan couldn't help but sigh, this sigh coming from the bottom of his heart, without any pretense.
It had an open mouth, a short neck, a bulging belly, and a flat base.
Blue-colored plum blossoms were drawn on the plain glaze, executed in a unique, ink-wash style.
This clearly demonstrated the artist's meticulous and superb craftsmanship.
The entire blue and white porcelain piece was flawless, and even now, it remained as bright as new, not even showing any traces of time.
"A treasure, a great treasure."
Ye Fan exclaimed, his eyes gleaming.
Seeing Ye Fan's expression, the Grand Elder smiled slightly. "From now on, this treasure belongs to Brother Ye."
Since he understood Ye Fan's intentions, the Grand Elder was naturally not a fool, saying with a chuckle.
Ye Fan gave an embarrassed smile. "All of this is thanks to the Grand Elder. If not for the Grand Elder's favor, how could I have seen such a treasure?"
The two understood each other tacitly; they were both foxes, so why pretend to be sheep?
After carefully packing the blue and white porcelain vase, the next item was from the second crate.
Inside this crate was a bronze artifact.
It was a bronze *jia*, covered in patina, with evident traces of history.
The *jia* was different from the *jue* and *gu*.
The *jue* had a spout, legs, and a tail, and was considered the most standard of wine vessels.
The *gu* had no spout and had tails at both ends.
However, the *jia* was more peculiar, having only a spout and no tail or legs.
This bronze *jia* had two spouts, an open mouth, a rounded belly, a single ear handle, and three feet.
From its appearance alone, this bronze *jia* was extremely beautiful.
Even Ye Fan, who had seen many bronze artifacts in his past and present lives, had never encountered such a beautiful piece.
Although it was covered in patina, it did not detract from its aesthetic appeal at all.
Seeing Ye Fan completely mesmerized, the Grand Elder's smile widened.
"This bronze *jia* is a supreme treasure. To be honest, even our Wang family does not possess such an item. Brother Ye, this single bronze *jia* is enough to shake half of Jiangcheng. You have struck it rich, young man."
Looking at Ye Fan, the Grand Elder couldn't help but joke.
If it weren't for the Wang family's status, the Grand Elder might have kept this item for himself. After all, such a treasure, if missed, might never be seen again in his lifetime.
Given the Grand Elder's fondness for treasures, it was natural for him to have such thoughts.
However, he was not just an individual but also represented the Wang family. If he were to secretly keep such a treasure and be discovered, the entire Wang family would be implicated along with him.